BPM (Bit Patterned Media) data recording may achieve higher areal density than recording with conventional media, such as continuous media or discrete track media. However, BPM data recording presently presents a variety of technical challenges. For example, BPM data recording is likely to have a relatively high defect ratio and, currently, there is no effective way to map out defects before data writing. Another issue is that BPM recording is typically associated with a low Bit Aspect Ratio (BAR) and therefore, using a conventional approach, the write pole and write field may be undesirably small. Further, other areas for BPM improvement relate to challenges associated with tuning write synchronization and servo track seeking speed. At least these technical barriers bring into question, as a practical matter, whether a storage device dedicated exclusively or primarily to BPM data recording is worth the increase in areal density. Many of the technical challenges presented by BPM recording also confront other high areal density, high data rate magnetic recording technologies and therefore also affect the practical dependency of such technologies.